1918: German Prisoners Are Overfed, Britons Say

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Britons were outraged over the generous rations given to German prisoners of war.

By The International Herald Tribune

Jan. 31, 2018

LONDON — There is a loud outcry throughout England against the generous rations that are given to the German war prisoners in internment camps in Great Britain. This criticism is being accentuated as the food queues in London lengthen and as the Germans continue their bombardments of London.

Letters innumerable are written to the newspapers complaining against the allowances of food to the Germans, and the Government is almost ordered by public sentiment to reduce their fare.

A correspondent, writing to the “Daily Express,” says: —

“For breakfast the fortunate people in the camp have a big plateful of porridge, tea, bread, margarine, and part of their weekly ration of 7oz. of jam if they care to draw on it. For dinner they have 6oz. of beef or mutton, 10oz. of vegetables (potatoes and cabbage, cauliflower or other greenstuff in season), bread, and rice, tapioca, or semolina, when cheese is not available. They had cheese up to last week, although very few people outside the camp could get it. For tea they have bread, margarine, jam and tea. They have two meatless days a week, and on these occasions they are provided with 12oz. of salted herring a day.

“The meat supply, we are told, is only sufficient to allow each British citizen a pound a week; but in practice even this amount cannot be had. The allowance of the German is nearly double, and he gets his supply daily without effort and without worry.”